There was an impression earlier on Monday evening that the
nation stopped and held its breath as TV audiences awaited the resolution of
what has undoubtedly become the viewing phenomenon of the year.
It was a bold step by the makers of the drama to review the
killer’s identity so early in the show. DI Hardy, hours before being medically
retired due to the heart condition that has dogged him thoughout the
investigation tracked the killer in measured slow-motion, past recognisable
town landmarks, the church, the field, the Latimers’ house and, with that
heartbeat soundtrack pounding away, towards that oh-so-familiar front door.
It’s then we realise his suspicions. It’s why he gave Ellie that earnest commendation
on the beach and why he had distracted her with the re-arrest of Nige. The
trail led him through the Miller’s house and to the culprit himself who called
him in and readily handed himself over to police custody.
Never mind that most of the population had already guessed
that Joe Miller was the murderer. Never mind that the motive was that old TV
murder mystery cliché, paedophilia, a theme that has raised its head more than
once in previous weeks. What was important now was not the denouement itself
but its impact, the ripples of shock that spread out through the community as
word of the arrest spread. The remainder of the episode concentrated on the
aftermath of the arrest. In one harrowing scene it falls to the usually flinty
Hardy to break the news to his gentle colleague of her husband’s arrest and
confession, in another heart-wrenching moment Ellie had to explain events to
son Tom. Olivia Colman is supreme as she channels disbelief, revulsion, grief
and rage in the space of a few seconds, while David Tennant conveys all that
the taciturn Hardy is unable to vocalise through his facial expression and his
eyes. The entire ensemble cast deserve recognition, but if either lead actor is
absent from any awards lists following their performances in this drama it will
be a travesty.
The community reels with the horror as the implications of
Joe’s arrest hit home. This is someone at the heart of the community, their
friend and neighbour, someone who visited their houses, minded their children
and even offered support in the wake of Danny’s death. For Mark the horror is
almost unbearable as he has to relive the grief of losing a son now coupled
with the most awful betrayal. So many key moments of the past weeks now jump
out – Joe’s pointed question about the investigation to Hardy over dinner, his
teasing Ellie over him being a suspect. And for Ellie, her words to Susan
Wright come back to haunt her: “How could you not know?” The population gathers
to hear the news, but where there is incredulity and horror there is also a
sense of relief. As the producers are so keen to assure us, there is closure
At the end there is hope. At a torchlight vigil held for
Danny, beacons are lit down the coast in a gesture of solidarity, a sign that
the community is being connected again and that Broadchurch is not an isolated
bubble where this horrific event took place but a part of the nation that is in
the thoughts of all. It has been a drama that has explored the effects on the
town and its residents as much as the process of finding the killer and it is
quite fitting that the motif of light coming out of the darkness should show
that a line has been drawn and, while events can never be forgotten, the
community can reshape itself around what has happened and try to move on.
Ironically, protagonists Hardy and Miller are perhaps the
only two left without a clear direction at the conclusion. At the beginning
they are perhaps the most self-assured individuals in the story. Ellie is
rock-solid in her conviction that Broadchurch is, and always will be, her home,
and she is much respected and much loved with the perfect family to support
her. Hardy is single-minded in his professionalism and his focus on his work
and on this case; he is a police detective first and foremost. Now Ellie Miller
is considering leaving the town and having to start again from nothing
somewhere else, while Alec Hardy has lost the role that has defined him. The
series concludes with the pair adrift, unsure of what to do next as the rest of
Broadchurch picks itself up and moves forward. Whether these issues will be
addressed in the just-announced second series remains to be seen.
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